JP2000142944A - Parts carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate carrying device allowing easy changing of the layout of substrate carrying by butting guide rails each other, without causing trouble in carrying substrate carry and without preparing a plurality of connecting guide rails of various length. SOLUTION: In a substrate carrying device provided with guide rails 11A, 11B guiding the side the faces of a substrate 10 in the direction orthogonal with the carrying direction of the substrate 10, and conveyor belts 12 driving the substrate 10 in the carrying direction, the butting part of the guide rails 11A, 11B adjacent to each other in the carrying direction are constituted so that when the distance of relative approaching/separating movement of each one in the carrying direction is within a fixed range, the guide faces 11A", 11B" of the guide rails 11A, 11B exist on the same plane overlap in the direction orthogonal with the carrying direction on the guide faces.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a component transfer device for transferring components such as boards used in electronic equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this kind of component transfer apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, the board 10 in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction (A direction in the figure) of the board 100 to be transferred is shown.
The guide rails 101A and 101B are used as guide members for guiding the side end surface of the substrate 100, and the conveyor belts 102A and 102B are used as transport driving members for driving the substrate 100 in the transport direction. Of these members, one set of a guide rail 101A and a guide rail 101A,
A conveyor belt 102A as a transport driving member for driving the substrate 100 in the transport direction is attached to one facility, and another set of guide rails 101B and a conveyor belt 102B are attached to another facility adjacent to the facility.

[0003] As shown in FIG.
A guide rail 101C as an adjustment guide member is provided at the end of 01A so that the length of the transport distance can be adjusted in a relatively wide range.

[0004]

In the case of changing the layout of component transport in the component transport apparatus of FIG. 6, a gap (see g1 in FIG. 6) occurs at the abutting portion between the adjacent guide rails 101A and 101B. was there. When such a gap exists, the substrate 10
There was a possibility that the end portion of 0 was caught and a substrate transport trouble occurred.

[0007] In the component transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 7, when changing the layout of component transfer, a large gap is formed between the guide rails 101 A and 101 B of the adjacent equipment due to restrictions on the installation position of the equipment (see g 1 in FIG. 6). Even in the case where the error occurs, the adjustment guide rail 101C is attached to the gap, so that the substrate 100 does not get caught in the large gap and the trouble of transporting the substrate does not occur. However, when this apparatus is used, gaps (g2 and g3 in FIG. 7) occur between the adjustment guide rail 101C and the guide rail 101A or the guide rail 101B if the distance between the equipments changes even a little. There was a risk of transport problems. In order to reduce the gaps (g2 and g3 in FIG. 7) even when the distance between the equipments changes in this component conveying device, various lengths of the adjusting guide rails 101C are prepared. This is disadvantageous in that the cost of the apparatus is reduced.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-173635 discloses a fixed guide rail ("conveyance rail" in the publication).
A substrate transfer device is disclosed in which a movable guide rail is accommodated in the substrate transfer device so that the guide rail can be extended and contracted. However, also in this apparatus, there is a step in the direction perpendicular to the guide surface at the boundary between the fixed guide rail and the movable guide rail, and there is a possibility that the substrate is caught by this step and a substrate transport trouble occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to prevent the occurrence of a component transport trouble and to provide a plurality of connection guide members having different lengths. It is another object of the present invention to provide a component conveying apparatus capable of easily changing a layout of component conveying by abutting guide members.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a guide member for guiding a side end surface of an article in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of a component to be conveyed, And a transport drive member for driving the guide member in the transport direction, the abutting portion between the guide members adjacent in the transport direction, the distance of the relative contact and separation movement of the guide members in the transport direction. When the distance is within a predetermined range, the guide surfaces of the guide members are present on the same plane and overlap with each other in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction on the guide surface.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of laying out the entire transporting device and changing the layout, the guide members are relatively moved within a predetermined range at the abutting portion of the guide members adjacent in the component transporting direction. Even when the guide members are moved toward and away from each other, the guide surfaces of the guide members are on the same plane and overlap in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction on the guide surfaces.
Therefore, it is possible to adjust the length of the butted portion in the transport direction without preparing a plurality of connection guide members having different lengths. Moreover, there is no step in the abutting portion in a direction perpendicular to the guide surface, and the side end surface of the conveyed component is always in contact with the guide surface on the same plane.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the transport driving member is
2. The component conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the component conveying device comprises an endless belt provided on a plurality of supporting rollers, wherein at least one of two supporting rollers forming a component mounting surface of the belt is moved in the conveying direction. And a tension adjusting roller for adjusting the tension of the belt.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, at least one of two support rollers forming a component mounting surface of an endless belt used as a transport driving member for driving a component in the transport direction is moved in the transport direction. By moving along
The length of the component mounting surface is adjusted according to the layout change of the entire transfer device. The tension of the belt, which is to be changed by adjusting the length of the component mounting surface, is maintained at a constant value by a tension adjusting roller.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate used in an electronic device will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the substrate transfer device according to the present embodiment. This substrate transfer device includes guide rails 11A and 11B as guide members for guiding side end surfaces of the substrate 10 in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction (A direction in the drawing) of the substrate 10 to be transferred, and the transfer direction of the substrate 10 And an endless conveyor belt 12 as a transport driving member for driving the conveyor belt. This conveyor belt 12
Are mounted on a plurality of support rollers.

FIG. 2A is a front view of an abutting portion between the guide rails 11A and 11B. Each guide rail 11
The ends 11A 'and 11B' of A and B are each formed in a comb shape that engages with each other. The thickness of this comb-shaped tooth (t1 in the figure) is the thickness of the substrate 10 (t1 in the figure).
Set thinner than 2). By configuring the butting portion in this manner, the guide rails 11A and 11B can relatively move within the predetermined moving range in the transport direction.
Moreover, the guide rails 11A and 11B are within the predetermined moving range.
The guide surfaces 11a "and 11B" of each other overlap in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Therefore, the guide rails 11A and 11B may be changed according to the layout change of the entire transfer device.
Even if the guide rails 11 are separated from each other within a predetermined moving distance as shown in FIG. 2A or approached as shown in FIG.
A and B can be compared with each other and guide rail 1
Guide surfaces 11A "and 11B" which are in contact with substrates 1A and 1B
Therefore, there is no step in the direction perpendicular to the guide surface, which may cause a component transport trouble.

The guide rail 11B at the end of the plurality of guide rails is an adjustment guide rail for adjusting the length of the transport path when the layout is changed, and its end face (upper right face in the figure). However, it hits a guide rail in the next facility.

FIG. 3A is a front view of a conveyor belt 12 used as a transport driving member of the present substrate transport apparatus. Each of the conveyor belts 12 has four support rollers 1
3, 14, 15 and 16. At least one of the two support rollers 13 and 14 forming the substrate mounting surface B on which the substrate 1 is mounted is movably attached along the transport direction. The support roller 15 attached to the lower side in the figure is used as a drive roller for driving the conveyor belt 12. Further, the support roller 16 above the support roller 15 is a tension adjusting roller, and is configured to be urged by an urging means such as a spring (not shown) to apply a predetermined tension to the conveyor belt 12, and It is mounted movably in the direction of arrow C. Here, the support roller 1
3, 14 (in the example of FIG. 3, the support roller 1
When the length of the substrate mounting surface B is adjusted by moving 4), the tension of the conveyor belt 12 can be kept constant by moving the support roller 16 in the direction of arrow C. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the distance between the support rollers 13 and 14 is increased to increase the length of the substrate mounting surface, the tension of the conveyor belt 12 tends to increase. The conveyor belt 12 is moved in the direction of arrow C where the tension is reduced, and the tension of the conveyor belt 12 is kept constant.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the guide rail 11A and the adjustment guide rail 11B are relatively moved within a predetermined range when the layout of the board transfer is changed, the guide rail A , B at the abutting portion between the guide surfaces 11A ", 11B" in the direction perpendicular to the guide surfaces 11A ", 11B", and the side end surface of the substrate 10 to be transported is always in contact with the guide surfaces 11A ", 11B" on the same plane. No parts transport trouble occurs. Moreover, the length of the butting portion of the guide rails in the board transfer direction can be adjusted without preparing a plurality of connection guide rails having different lengths, thereby reducing the cost of the apparatus. ,
The layout of component transport can be easily changed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the length of the substrate mounting surface can be adjusted in accordance with a change in the layout of the entire transfer apparatus while the tension of the conveyor belt 12 is maintained at a constant level. .

In the above-described embodiment, the ends of the adjacent guide rails 11A and 11B are formed in a comb shape that engages with each other, but the present invention is not limited to this shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the ends of the two guide rails 11A and 11B may each be formed in a blade-like shape like the tip of a cutter knife. FIG.
As shown in (b), one end of each of the two guide rails 11A and 11B may be formed with a wedge-shaped concave portion, and the other end may be formed with a wedge-shaped convex portion that engages with the concave portion. .

In the above embodiment, the case where the guide rail 11A and the guide rail 11B are abutted in one device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to one device as shown in FIG. Guide rail 11
A can also be applied to a substrate transfer device configured to abut A against a guide rail 11C in the facility next to it.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the conveyor belt is used as the transport driving member for transporting the substrate has been described. However, the present invention employs another transport driving member such as a plurality of transport rollers arranged in the transport direction. It can be applied also when used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case of the substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate has been described, but the present invention is also applicable to the case of a component transfer device for transferring components other than the substrate.

[0022]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, even when the guide members are relatively moved toward and away from each other within a predetermined range, a step in a direction perpendicular to the guide surface at the abutting portion between the guide members is provided. Does not occur, and the side end surface of the component to be transported is always in contact with the guide surface on the same plane, so that no component transport trouble occurs. In addition, since the length of the butted portion in the component transport direction can be adjusted without preparing a plurality of connection guide members having different lengths, the layout of component transport can be easily changed. There is an effect that can be.

In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the layout of the entire transfer device is changed while maintaining the tension of the endless belt used as the transfer drive member for driving the components in the transfer direction at a constant magnitude. There is an effect that the length of the component mounting surface can be adjusted according to the condition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of a butt portion when adjacent guide rails of the substrate transfer device are separated from each other. (B) is an enlarged view of the butted portion when the guide rails are brought close to each other.

FIG. 3A is a front view of a conveyor belt of the substrate transfer device. (B) is a front view when the substrate mounting surface of the conveyor belt is extended.

FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of a butted portion of a guide rail according to a modification. (B) is an enlarged view of a butted portion of a guide rail according to another modification.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer device according to a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer device according to another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Board 11A, 11B, 11C Guide rail 11A ', 11B' Guide rail end 11A ", 11B" Guide rail guide surface 12 (12A, 12B) Conveyor belt 13, 14 Support roller 15 Support roller (drive roller) 16 Support roller (tension adjustment roller)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A component transport device comprising: a guide member for guiding a side end surface of an article in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of a component to be transported; and a transport drive member for driving the component in the transport direction. The guide surfaces of the guide members are located on the same plane when the distance between the guide members in the transport direction is within a predetermined range. A component conveying device configured to overlap in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction on the guide surface. 2. The component conveying device according to claim 1, wherein said transport driving member is constituted by an endless belt spanning a plurality of supporting rollers, wherein said two supporting rollers form a component mounting surface of said belt. Wherein at least one of the components is movably provided in the transport direction, and a tension adjusting roller for adjusting the tension of the belt is provided.